As C57BL/6 mice are naturally susceptible to T. gondii infection and develop encephalitis following infection with a type II strain, we used an established model of infection of C57BL/6 mice with a modified type II strain expressing the immunodominant GRA6-OVA model antigen (Pru.GFP.GRA6-OVA), which elicits a strong CD8+ T cell response able to effectively control the parasite burden during chronic stage [34], thereby mimicking the pathophysiology of latent human infection. Here, CD8A is linked to viral encephalitis.